Psoriasis on the Face

Psoriasis on face differs from that affecting other body parts, as your face skin is thinner and is characterized by increased sensitivity to treating measures. Patients with this skin condition typically have the following areas damaged by the disease:
• Eyebrows
• Hairline
• Upper forehead
• Skin between your upper lip & your nose
There is a wide variety of means which can be opted jointly with your doctor for curing psoriasis on face.

Psoriasis on face Medications

Psoriasis on face can be cured by means of a few main medications, their choice depending on the face area affected. One drug alone or a mixture several ones may be prescribed by your doctor:
• Low-potency corticosteroids produced as sprays, ointments, lotions or creams. These medications help reduce skin swelling and redness. They are normally prescribed for a short term, as a rule, a few weeks. Being used for a longer term these medications can affect your skin making it shiny, thinner, easily bruised, and sometimes giving it stretch marks.
• Calcipotriene (Dovonex, Sorilux), which is a synthetic form of vitamin D. Cream or ointment containing this component decreases the skin cells production. Its disadvantage is the threat of irritating the face skin. According to the recent studies a newer vitamin D-based drug – calcitriol (Rocaltrol, Vectical) – is more suitable for sensitive skin.
• Tazarotene gel (Tazorac) belonging to retinoid group, is helpful for removing scales and reducing inflammation. But its potential side effect is skin irritation.

US Food & Drug Administration has permitted to use pimecrolimus (Elidel) and tacrolimus (Protopic) for treating another skin disease called eczema. According to some dermatologists these medications can be equally applied for curing psoriasis on face. However, recent research has proved their connection with increasing cancer risk. Therefore, patients are advised to use these drugs only for a limited period having thorough weighed their benefits and side effects.

Around the eyes

Psoriasis can spread over the eyelids making their edges crusty and reddish. Lashes may get covered with scales. A long-lasting inflammation causes the lid rims’ turning up and down. The rim’s turning down can urge lashes to rub against the eyeball provoking irritation. Being an extremely rare form psoriasis of the eye may lead to dryness, irritation and the feeling of general discomfort. It may affect vision. In this case the infection can be treated by topical antibiotics.
If scales appear in the areas around the eyes your doctor may recommend you applying a steroid medication. The overall treatment of psoriasis face must be carefully supervised by your doctor as thin and tender eyelid skin is extremely sensitive & vulnerable to the damage caused by the disease. The abuse of topical steroid medication in and around eyes may trigger the development of cataracts and/or glaucoma, so visit an ophthalmologist regularly to check the intraocular pressure.
The effective medications for applying on eyelids are Elidel cream or Protopic ointment which can’t cause glaucoma but can cause stinging sensation the first several days of use. If you want to avoid the topical steroids’ bad effects use Protopic/Elidel for harnessing eyelid psoriasis.

In the ears

Experiencing psoriasis in ears, which typically affects the external ear canal, bears not only substantial discomfort but also a potential threat for the ear canal that can be blocked by scale buildup. Temporary hearing loss is a possible consequence of the buildup formation. Visit a doctor to get the scale removed.
He can also recommend you to use steroid solutions by dripping them into the ear or applying to its outside area. Typically prescribed for ear psoriasis Tazorac or Dovonex are recommended to be combined with topical steroids to avoid irritation they can trigger when used alone. If with the curing purpose you have to insert anything rigid into your ear, do it extremely carefully not to damage the eardrum. Another potential threat is psoriasis scale impaction which can be a result of inappropriate application of the medication inside the ear canal.

Around the nose and mouth

Psoriasis lesions (grey or white) can sometimes appear on the lips/tongue/gums, or inside the cheeks/nose. Difficulty in chewing & swallowing food are the most typical discomforts the patients complain of.
There are special medications for treating moist areas involved in the treatment plan. Its important component is improved hygiene achieved by frequent rinsing with a saline solution. Lip psoriasis symptoms can be relieved by applying hydrocortisone 1% ointment (a low-potency steroid). The other medication options are Elidel and Protopic.